CCTA board committed to employees and community

By Tom Buckley
CCTA’s mission is to promote and operate safe, convenient, accessible, innovative and sustainable public transportation services in the northwest and central Vermont region that reduce congestion and pollution, encourage transit-oriented development and enhance the quality of life for all.
The CCTA Board of Commissioners—the thirteen member volunteer board that sets the policy and financial direction of the organization—is fully committed to CCTA’s mission. Each of us is appointed by the elected board in our home community or our county’s regional planning commission and understands our obligation to ensure our fellow residents are served with safe, reliable and affordable transportation. These priorities guide our decisions.Through the hard work of our drivers and administrative staff, CCTA is recognized as one of the highest performing small transit agencies in the country, with a strong safety record and a 70 percent increase in ridership since 2000. The Board is committed to nurturing an environment where this success can continue.
The recent strike demonstrated that important work needs to be done within CCTA to improve employee relations. To improve communication and show respect for our drivers, CCTA is creating an Employee Committee to focus on workplace enhancements, which will include multiple driver representatives. CCTA and the Union have also agreed to participate in the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service’s most intensive interactive training program, known as “Relationship by Objective,” in which labor and management will work collaboratively towards an improved work environment.
The board has also taken action to respond to the concerns expressed by drivers in a thorough and respectful manner. At its meeting on March 31, the board passed a resolution establishing a new Operations Committee. The Operations Committee will focus on operational and human resources policies and procedures and will evaluate where adjustments and updates are warranted.
But we won’t stop there. The CCTA Board understands its obligation to passengers and the communities we serve. As chair of the board, I intend to work collaboratively with my fellow commissioners, the drivers and CCTA administrative staff to move CCTA forward so we can continue to expand and improve public transportation in the region.
Tom Buckley is the CCTA Board of Commissioners chair. Members of the CCTA Board of Commissioners are: Tom Buckley, representing the City of Winooski; Bob Buermann, representing Grand Isle County; Denis Barton, representing the Town of Shelburne; Catherine Dimitruk, representing Franklin County; Harold Garabedian, representing Washington County; Steve Magowan, representing the City of South Burlington; Karla Munson, representing the Town of Hinesburg; Brian Palaia, representing the Town of Milton; Marti Powers, representing the Town of Essex; Chapin Spencer, representing the City of Burlington; Al Turgeon, representing the Town of Williston; Bonnie Waninger, representing Lamoille County; Bethany Whitaker, representing the City of Burlington.